Nonrefillable bottle closure



June 7, 1949.

FIGI.

SLAnUH ROOM A. WHITTAM 2,472,182

NONREFILLABLE BOTTLE CLOSURE Filed Oct. 2a, 1946 WXZ y/M A llorneys Patented June 7, 1949 SEAKUH ROOM N ON REFILLABLE BOTTLE CLOSURE Albert Whittam, Markinch, Scotland, assignor of one-half to John Haig & Company, Limited, Markinch, Scotland, at British company Application October 28, 1946, Serial No. 706,138 In Great Britain February 20, 1945 Section 1, Public Law 690, August 8, 1946 Patent expires February 20, 1965 Claims.

This invention relates to non-refillable bottle closures of the kind having a ribbed tubular valve casing in the neck of the bottle, the valve casing being formed at its lower end with an internal valve seat for a disc valve seated by means of a superimposed loose weight movable between the valve and an abutment in the upper part of the tubular valve casing,

The invention consists in a bottle closure of the kind defined comprising a tubular valve casing adapted to fit inside the bottle neck and having an external flange adapted to seat on a washer on the rim of the bottle neck, said casing having intermediate its length an internal annular shoulder above vertical ribs extending downwards to a valve seat in the bottom of the valve casing, a tubular nozzle fitted in the upper part of the valve casing, said nozzle being characterized by the provision therein of an axial passage open at its outer end and closed at its inner end, ports in the side of said nozzle forming lateral connections between the axial passage and the interior of the valve casing which contains the known disc valve coacting with a superimposed loose weight held in central position by a needle-type hearing which comprises a tapered lower extremity on the lower end of the nozzle and a conical or inwardly tapering recess in the top of the weight. The nozzle is adapted to be closed by a stopper.

The improved bottle closure is illustrated in the accompanying drawings whereon: Fig. l is a, halfelevational and half sectional view through the bottle neck and non-refillable valve device, the stopper being shown. Fig. 2 is a separate sectional view of the valve casing. Fig. 3 is a plan view of the valve casing. Fig. 4 is a side view of the nozzle, Fig. 5 shows the loose weight half in elevation and half in vertical section. Figs. 6 and 7 are edge and plan views respectively of the disc valve.

As illustrated, the bottle neck I is internally cylindrically formed to receive the cylindrically formed tubular valve casing 2 which has an external flange 3 and an upstanding lip 4 which provides an annular recess 5 in the top of the valve casing. When inserting the valve casing in the bottle neck, a resilient cork washer 6 is fitted to form a liquid-tight seal between the flange 3 and the rim or the bottle. In the lower part of the valve casing is a valve seat 1 which receives a disc valve 8 made of a material which is non-injurious to the contents of the bottle. The disc valve 8 is a loose fit in the valve casing which is formed with a series of spaced vertical ribs 25. Above the ribs 25 is an internal annular 2 shoulder 9, the purpose of which is hereinafter explained.

Fitted in the mouth or the valve casing is a tubular nozzle II which has an intermediate external flange I I adapted to be seated in the recess 5 upon a resilient cork washer 12. The nozzle It has an axial passage l3 which is closed at its lower end by a solid bearing member I at the lower end of the nozzle. The member I4 is pointed or tapered to fit into a conical or inwardly tapering recess IS in a loose weight It. The angle of the recess II is preferably made wider than the angle of taper or the member H so that the weight I. will not adhere to the member it under the influence of the surface tension of the liquid. The nozzle II is formed below the flange H with lateral ports I! which connect the axial passage It to the upper interior portion ll! of the valve casing. The weight I is adapted to seat on the disc valve 8 and may be iormed'with a flat lower surface which rests on small projections I! on the disc I to prevent the disc valve adhering to the weight.

The bottle closure is sealed in position by securing a thin sheet metal shell 2| around the bottle neck and over the flange ll of the nozzle I 0, so that the valve device cannot be removed without destroying the seal formed by the shell 20. Thereafter the stopper shown in Fig. 1 is applied, the stopper having a cork plug 2| which enters and seals the axial passage l3, and a cap 22 which seats on that part of the shell 20 which covers the flange II. A thin frangible metal outer seal (not shown) is then applied in known manner over the stopper and shell 20 to seal the stopper.

In order to pour out the contents of the bottle. the outer seal (not shown) and the stopper 2| with the cap 22 are removed. By tilting the bottle the disc valve 8 becomes unseated, permitting the liquid to flow out under the lower edge of the valve 8 into the interior ll of the valve casing and out through the port or ports I! and axial passage l3, Air freely enters in the reverse direction through the passage l3 and upper part of the ports I! into the space I8 and over the upper edge of the disc valve 8 into the bottle.

It will be observed that the air and liquid .change in direction in their passage through the nozzle l0, flowing laterally through the ports I1 and axially through the passage I3. The disposition of the ports I! at right angles to the passage I3 obstructs the insertion of a wire with the object of holding the valve I off its seat in an attempt to fraudulently refill the bottle. Ii a 3 wire is successfully introduced through one of the ports 11, the end of the wire will strike the annular shoulder 9 and will be prevented from being passed down the inner wall of the valve casing 2 in an attempt to hold the valve off its seat.

In order to increase surface attraction between the valve 8 and the valve seat I, and in order to provide greater security against fraudulent refilling of the bottle, the valve seat I is preferably a flat surface for direct contact with the lower face of the disc valve 8, and a series of spaced inlet orifices 23 are provided in the flat valve seat 1, the orifices 23 being closed by the disc valve 8 when the latter is seated. The solid portion 24 between the orifices 23 provides a surface for contact with the valve 8 and thus provides greater surface attraction or adhesion than would be the case if the valve seat I were to be provided with a single central inlet port slightly smaller in diameter than the valve 8.

The orifices 23 may be slots as shown in Fig. 3, or they may be small circular holes, three or more in number, arranged in a circle around the central solid portion 24.

The shoulder of the sheet metal shell 20 may be provided with an annular groove 26, which forms a rib arranged to press on the flange I l of the nozzle I0. When the bottle closure has been inserted in the bottle neck, the shell 20 is pressed downwards over the bottle neck until the rib formed by the groove 26 presses on the flange l l and compresses the cork washer I 2 upon the flange 3, which in turn compresses the cork washer 6 upon the bottle neck, The shell 20 is then secured in known manner by pressing the shell 20 into a circumferential groove 27 formed in the outside of the bottle neck.

I claim:

1. A bottle closure comprising a tubular valve casing, an external flange on said casing, an internal annular shoulder in said casing intermediate its length, vertical ribs formed on the interior of said casing beneath said shoulder and extending downwards to the bottom of the easing, an eccentrically apertured valve seat at the bottom of said casing, a disc valve movable in said casing and arranged to seat by surface attraction on said valve seat, a weight loosely superimposed'upon said valve, said weight having an inwardly tapering recess in the top thereof, a tubular nozzle in the upper part of said casing, said nozzle having an axial passage open at its outer end and closed at its inner end and said nozzle having ports in its side at right angles to said axial passage and providing lateral connections between said axial passage and the interior of the valve casing, and a tapered bearing member 4 at the inner end of said nozzle for co-operating with the recess in said weight.

2. A bottle closure as specified in claim 1 having the angle of taper of the recess in the weight wider than the angle of taper of the bearing memher.

3. A bottle closure as specified in claim 1 having projections on the upper face of the disc valve. and the weight has a flat lower surface.

4. A bottle closure as specified in claim)" in which the apertured valve seat has inlet .orifices arranged around a central solid portion which provides surface contact and surface attraction with the valve which is made of a material which is capable of only just floating in the liquid contents of the bottle.

5. A bottle closure comprising a tubular valve casing, an external flange integral with said casing, an internal annular recess in the upper part of said casing, a resilient washer fitted in said recess, internal ribs integral with said casing and extending to the bottom thereof, an eccentrically apertured valve seat integral with said casing and formin the bottom end wall thereof, said seat having a flat upper surface, a disc valve flat on its underside, said valve being seated by surface attraction on said valve seat, a weight loosely superimposed upon said valve, said weight having a recess in its upper part, a tapered bearing member entering th recess in said weight, a tubular nozzle integral with said weight and from which said weight depends, and an external flange integral with said nozzle and seating on said washer, said nozzle having an axial passage open at its upper end and communicating at its lower end with the interior of the valve casing above said weight through lateral ports in the side of said nozzle at right angles to said axial passage.

ALBERT WHITTA'M.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 578,996 Langley Mar. 16, 1897 2,096,426 Greene Oct, 19, 1937 2,179,510 Kolts Nov. 14, 1939 2,184,468 Podel Dec. 26, 1939 2,187,619 Greene Jan. 16, 1940 2,312,759 Greene et a1. Mar. 2, 1943 2,380,825 Diaz July 31, 1945 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 449,910 France Mar. 11, 1913 

